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Collection Development Policy for Special Collections at the University of Bradford

Special CollectionsJ.B. Priestley LibraryUniversity of BradfordBradford. BD7 1DP.Email: [email protected]: http://www.brad.ac.uk/library/special-collectionsTel: +44 (0) 1274 235256

June 2013

http://www.brad.ac.uk/library/special-collections

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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Author: Alison Cullingford.

Version: 1.00.

Document history: Incorporates feedback from colleagues and stakeholders following circulation of 0.02 in April 2013.

Date: June 2013.

Audience: Public document.

Copyright: University of Bradford. Readers are welcome to share it under the terms of our Creative Commons licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Special Collections welcomes feedback on its documentation. Please contact us if you have any comments, if you need to view this in an alternative format, or if you wish to use it in any way not covered by the Creative Commons licence: [email protected]

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CONTENTSMission statement.......................................................................................1Decision-making.........................................................................................1Publication history.......................................................................................1Background to the 2013 edition..................................................................2Typology of Special Collections..................................................................2Developing the Heritage Clusters...............................................................3

J.B. Priestley.........................................................................................3Collecting priorities...........................................................................3Stakeholders....................................................................................4Other organisations..........................................................................5

Jacquetta Hawkes.................................................................................5Collecting priorities...........................................................................5Stakeholders....................................................................................6Other organisations..........................................................................6

The history of the University..................................................................6Collecting priorities...........................................................................6We do not collect.............................................................................7Future directions..............................................................................7Theses and dissertations.................................................................7Other organisations..........................................................................8

Peace and nonviolent social change.....................................................8Collecting priorities...........................................................................8We do not collect.............................................................................8Future directions..............................................................................9Stakeholders....................................................................................9Other organisations..........................................................................9Note on New Atlantis and Mitrinović Library and Archive...............10

Bradford, the West Riding, and the Yorkshire Dales...........................10Collecting priorities.........................................................................11We do not collect............................................................................11Future directions............................................................................11Other organisations........................................................................11

Archaeology........................................................................................12Collecting priorities.........................................................................12We do not collect............................................................................12Other organisations........................................................................12

Other subjects.....................................................................................13Understanding the Legacy Collections.....................................................13

Notes on key Legacy clusters..............................................................13Quaker books.................................................................................13Yugoslav material...........................................................................14

Other factors in collecting decisions.........................................................14

Arrangement........................................................................................14Audiences and use..............................................................................14Condition.............................................................................................14Date.....................................................................................................15Format.................................................................................................15Language............................................................................................16Legal issues........................................................................................16

Copyright........................................................................................16Data Protection..............................................................................16

Partners...............................................................................................16Size of collection.................................................................................17

Collecting processes.................................................................................17Purchasing..........................................................................................17Donations and deposits.......................................................................18

Unsolicited donations.....................................................................18Pro-active collecting............................................................................18Duplicates............................................................................................19

Printed books.................................................................................19Archives.........................................................................................19

Transfer from Main stock and Commonweal Library...........................19Accessioning and cataloguing.............................................................20Deaccessioning...................................................................................20

Deaccessioning UD material..........................................................20Deaccessioning non-UD material...................................................21

Review of this edition................................................................................21

Collection Development Policy. Special Collections, J.B. Priestley Library, University of Bradford

MISSION STATEMENTSpecial Collections at the University of Bradford collects, cares for and makes available unique and distinctive (UD) archives, rare books and other heritage material1 in support of the University’s teaching, research and community engagement. The collections offer a unique selling point for the University and hence are also invaluable in its marketing, fundraising and other management activities.

Such material because of its special nature needs to be managed separately from the main library collections which support current teaching and research. It requires specialist storage (closed access, regulated and secure environment), different kinds of access (supervised in reading room) and a wide range of staff skills and expertise in the management of archives and rare books. Hence Special Collections is managed as a distinct service reporting to the Head of Library Services.

Unlike record offices, Special Collections is under no statutory or other obligation to collect any particular material. The University was founded too late for us to develop the kind of generalist special collections typical of older research libraries. Instead we aim to build on our existing strengths and move into new areas in ways that are cost-effective and help us fulfil our mission.

DECISION-MAKINGSpecial Collections materials are intended to be retained permanently. This has long-term financial, legal and managerial implications for the University. Thus the decision to add new material is not taken lightly. Decisions are made by the Special Collections Librarian, based on her experience and expertise. The Head of Library Services must approve the addition of new archive collections and new collecting clusters. The views of subject librarians, academic staff, external experts, other collecting organisations and colleagues in the sector are also taken into account.

PUBLICATION HISTORYThis document supersedes the last approved CDP for Special Collections (2007) and subsequent drafts. It contains all the information recommended in the National Archives checklist for CDP contents2. After approval by the Head of Library Services and consultation with relevant subject librarians, it will be circulated to organisations with overlapping collecting interests for comment. On final approval, it will be made available online and shared with The National Archives and other interested parties.

BACKGROUND TO THE 2013 EDITIONComparison with previous editions shows that our collecting areas and decision-making factors have not greatly changed since the founding of the Special Collections service in 2000. However, we have refined our thinking, following years of reflection, observation of users, statistical evidence, and discussion with stakeholders and professional contacts.

1 The award-winning 100 Objects exhibition offers an easy way to understand our collections http://100objectsbradford.wordpress.com/

2 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/archive-collection-policy.pdf

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http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/archive-collection-policy.pdf

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/archive-collection-policy.pdf

http://100objectsbradford.wordpress.com/


Moreover, this new edition appears against a background of turbulence in our sector, unprecedented levels of technological change, and changes in professional practice. To survive, Special Collections services must actively demonstrate their value to their organisations. Fortunately new technologies make this easier and offer new ways of enhancing and building collections (pro-active collecting is the future). New technologies also make heritage collections stand out more as unique selling points, in contrast to generic electronic resources.

Our profession is thinking more deeply about the meaning of “special collections”. The concept of “Unique and Distinctive (UD) Collections” has been most helpful when writing this policy. Considering these qualities encourages us to focus on user interests and resonance with local expertise, history and strengths. These match up to mission more easily than traditional criteria for special collections such as age and financial value (though these remain significant). We hope in the future that improved discovery technologies will make it easier to identify unique and distinctive material e.g. the COPAC CM tools3.

Note that individual items within archive or book collections may not in themselves be unique or distinctive BUT they become so by virtue of their place in a unique or distinctive collection4.

We have also found our adaptation of the Leeds typology invaluable in guiding our thoughts on collecting, as explained below.

TYPOLOGY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONSThis document uses the types suggested in the January 2013 discussion document Towards a Typology for Special Collections to identify collecting priorities. All our Special Collections have been mapped onto this structure, although this policy does not list them all in detail. The decision as to which type a collection or cluster fits into is taken by the Special Collections Librarian based on knowledge of the collections and their users and of wider networks of heritage material elsewhere.

1. Heritage. Collections or clusters of collections which are unique, distinctive and relevant to our mission. We are recognised as and expected to be specialists in these areas for historic and geographic reasons. These areas are our priority for collection development.

2. Legacy. Like Heritage collections, these materials are unique or distinctive. However they are a lower priority for collecting because they are less relevant to our mission, already collected by others with a stronger claim, or already complete with little scope for enhancement. They are to be retained for the foreseeable future because they are important materials which are well used, but we will only add where this is essential to enhance or interpret existing materials.

3. Self-renewing. Special Collections will very selectively collect material which is not unique and distinctive and which is intended to be self-renewing, to

3 http://copac.ac.uk/innovations/collections-management/aboutcollectionmanagement/

4 For instance, an edition of a novel by J.B. Priestley common in the second-hand trade and libraries. It becomes distinctive as part of our major collection of his published work, alongside his archive, and linked to the expertise of staff and our contacts.

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http://copac.ac.uk/innovations/collections-management/aboutcollectionmanagement/


support our services to visitors and enquirers and/or to assist Special Collections staff and volunteers in their work. Examples include reference works, reading copies in remote offices, librarian and archivist textbooks, professional standards, manuals and reports.

4. Finite. Material which is not or is no longer relevant. We aim wherever possible to deaccession this material, to enable us to concentrate resources on material which is relevant, and to allow it to be more useful in a different context.

DEVELOPING THE HERITAGE CLUSTERSJ.B. Priestley

The Bradford-born author, journalist and broadcaster is immensely important for understanding of 20th century politics, society and culture. Our most popular collection by any measure, the J.B. Priestley Archive allows us to engage with academics and scholars in social sciences and humanities, schoolchildren, theatres, literary societies and festivals, broadcasters and media, and many other audiences. It offers scope for all kinds of activities and partnerships.

Special Collections holds:

Priestley’s Archive, as donated by his Estate during the 1990s and subsequently, enhanced by other donations and pro-active collecting.

Collection of Priestley’s published works, acquired from many sources including the Estate, individual donors, and transfers from main stock and other libraries.

Records of the J.B. Priestley Society, along with their small collection of exhibition material, on deposit.

Collecting prioritiesArchives and ephemera Archive material created by Priestley e.g. manuscripts and typescripts, letters

to and from him. Archive material and ephemera concerning reception of Priestley’s life and

works: play productions, literary festivals, book reviews, exhibitions, societies. Photographs and other images of Priestley. Selectively, objects belonging to Priestley – if relevant to his life and works. Selectively, material concerning family and friends – where this sheds light on

his life and works.

Publications Copies of all book-length works authored by Priestley or to which he

contributed (Day5 A and B). Not necessarily mint copies, but in good condition with dustjackets. We aspire not only to acquire first editions, but to build understanding of the way Priestley’s works were received by collecting later editions, paperbacks, re-issues, audio versions, television adaptations, translations, study notes and other editions and adaptations of Priestley’s works.

5 “Day”: Day, Alan. J.B. Priestley: an annotated bibliography, with a supplement. Hodgkins, 2001.

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Text of all Priestley contributions to newspapers, journals and magazines (Day C). This may be in the form of the original journal, as a press cutting or in digital form.

Copies of works by Priestley with significant provenance (e.g. personal inscriptions by Priestley or belonging to family or friends).

Other published works with evidence of having belonged to Priestley or other significant provenance concerning his family or friends.

Biographies of Priestley and monographs about aspects of his work (Day H). Text of articles about Priestley in newspapers or journals (Day H), on

websites, blogs and elsewhere, in the form of original journals, press cuttings, or in digital form. These include book reviews, reviews of plays, news pieces, memories and think pieces, letters to the Editor, etc. We only collect pieces about or making substantial references to Priestley, not ones making passing allusions or sharing commonly used Priestley quotations.

All publications of the J.B. Priestley Society, in paper and/or digital form.

Collections elsewhereIn addition to the works held in Special Collections, we encourage our subject librarian colleagues to maintain and develop the existing strong collection of Priestley publications in main stock. This allows audiences to enjoy his popular works without having to access Special Collections.

We support the development of other collections of published works by Priestley for the benefit of audiences elsewhere, as at Senate House London.

Future directionsPriestley online. Many documents published in paper form in the past are now published online (e.g. reviews of play productions), while blogs and other social media offer new ways for people to discuss and share Priestley. We are exploring ways to curate and preserve this content.

Priestley remembered. Many people have memories of working with or meeting Priestley. However, such individuals are now ageing and their insights being lost. With the Society, we are exploring ways of capturing and preserving this information while it is still available.

Stakeholders J.B. Priestley Estate. J.B. Priestley Society.

Other organisations Archives with other Priestley material, particularly letters which belong in the

archive of the recipient or play production material which goes to the archive of the theatre.

Harry Ransom Center, Texas, has Priestley manuscripts and letters acquired during the 1960s.

Libraries in Bradford area notably Bradford Central, Mechanics’ Institute. Senate House Library. West Yorkshire Archive Service.

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Jacquetta HawkesArchaeologist and poet Jacquetta Hawkes is of interest partly because as the wife of J.B. Priestley their Archives are parallel and interlinked for almost fifty years. However, she is important for many other reasons, including her network of archaeological, artistic and literary contacts and her campaigning. Jacquetta’s ideas about the value of the natural world and the deep past are being rediscovered by new generations: they tie in with the University’s Ecoversity concern. Her life and works appeal to scholars in many disciplines, to broadcasters and publishers, to artists and writers, and many more.


Jacquetta’s Archive, donated by her son in 2004, and enhanced by other donations and pro-active collecting.

Collection of Jacquetta’s published works, acquired from many sources including the Shakespeare Centre, individual donors, and transfers from main stock and other libraries.

Material concerning the work of Dr Christine Finn, Jacquetta’s biographer.

Collecting prioritiesArchives and ephemera Archive material created by Jacquetta: manuscripts and typescripts, letters to

and from her. Archive material and ephemera concerning reception of her life and works. Photographs and other images of Jacquetta. Selectively, objects belonging to Jacquetta – if relevant to her life and works. Selectively, material concerning family and friends – where this sheds light on

her life and works.

Publications Copies of all book-length works authored by Jacquetta or to which she

contributed. We are not necessarily aiming for mint copies, but for volumes in good condition with dustjackets. We would also collect later editions, paperbacks, re-issues, and any other adaptations of these works.

Text of all her contributions to newspapers, journals and magazines. This may be in the form of the original journal, as a press cutting or in digital form.

Copies of works by Jacquetta with significant provenance (e.g. personal inscriptions by her or belonging to family or friends).

Other published works with evidence of having belonged to Jacquetta or other significant provenance concerning her family or friends.

Biographies of Jacquetta and monographs about her. Text of articles about Jacquetta in newspapers or journals, on websites, blogs

and elsewhere, in the form of original journals, press cuttings, or in digital form. These include book reviews, reviews of plays, news pieces, memories and think pieces, letters to the Editor, etc. We only collect pieces about or making substantial references to Jacquetta, not ones making passing allusions or sharing commonly used Jacquetta quotations.

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Future directionsJacquetta online. Many documents published in paper form in the past are now published online while blogs and other social media offer new ways for people to discuss and share Jacquetta’s ideas. We are exploring ways to curate and preserve this content.

Jacquetta remembered. Many people have memories of working with or meeting Jacquetta. However, such individuals are now ageing and their insights being lost. As with our other Heritage clusters, we are exploring ways of capturing and preserving this information while it is still available.

Stakeholders Her Estate. Dr Christine Finn.

Other organisations Bodleian Library (Archive of Christopher Hawkes, her first husband). Archives with collections of her letters etc. within the collections of people she

knew.

The history of the UniversitySpecial Collections plays a key role in maintaining the memory of its parent institution and in supporting the use of its heritage for marketing, fundraising and other business. The University’s history is also that of the city and hence overlaps with our local collecting cluster in terms of audiences and scope.


The Archive of the University of Bradford and of its predecessors Bradford Institute of Technology and Bradford Technical College.

A collection of publications concerning the history of the University, mostly transfers from main library stock.

Archives of key individuals in the history of the University (administrative and academic staff e.g. Ted Edwards, Adam Curle).

Archives of honorary degree holders (e.g. W.R. Mitchell).

Collecting priorities The University’s historic record including Council, Senate, significant

committees, calendars, degree ceremonies, prospectuses, photographs, press coverage, maps and plans, periodical publications, publicity material.

Records of our predecessor organisations (BTC and BIT). UBU/Students’ Union historic record. Works published by the University: Bradford University Press and

departmental publications. Grey literature produced by the University. Papers of significant individuals in the history of the University (Chancellors,

Vice-Chancellors etc., academic staff - bearing in mind the claims of other repositories).

Selectively, publications by University staff, students, alumni and honorary degree holders from other publishers. We aim to collect comprehensively in

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subjects which are represented in our other Heritage clusters (e.g. Yorkshire, archaeology, peace) and to sample publications in other subject areas.

Selectively, publications about University staff, students, alumni or honorary degree holders.

We do not collect Staff or student records. These are managed in accordance with legal

requirements in the relevant University departments. Survivals of this kind in the Archives of predecessor institutions are retained because of their historic interest and are managed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. We collect published biographical material about staff (e.g. book blurbs) to enable us to answer enquiries.

Transient financial and other operational records. Records of organisations which developed from common roots but are not

part of our historical record (Bradford School of Art, Bradford College).

Future directionsFollowing relocation of stock, we are at last in a position to weed the physical University Archive after 40 years of unplanned collecting. This will enable us to move forward more confidently in filling gaps in the physical collection, and to work with colleagues to tackle the challenge of collecting the University’s born-digital Archive.

The University’s 50th anniversary in 2016 (and other anniversaries of individual departments notably Peace Studies 40th in 2013) offer exciting opportunities to enhance collections. We hope in particular to,

Identify and seek to fill gaps in our holdings of significant University record series.

Curate the web presence of the University (as above for Priestley). Acquire more information about student experience and life e.g. records of

student societies. Curate memories – via social media and oral history.

Theses and dissertationsAlthough not managed in Special Collections, University theses are unique and highly significant for the University’s mission, and are therefore treated as Heritage for purposes such as salvage. They are retained permanently.

Dissertations in paper form are weeded on a rolling annual basis. Dissertations based on Special Collections are considered for transfer at this stage if their content would be useful to future users. Special Collections staff encourage students using collections in their thesis or dissertation to donate an electronic or paper copy directly to us, so we can make it available at once rather than waiting until deaccessioning. Dissertations are now submitted in electronic form.

Other organisations Bradford Central Library. Bradford College (we have a shared history). Other universities or organisations where they worked or studied may have

better claim for the papers of academics, honorary degree holders and alumni.

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West Yorkshire Archive Service.

Peace and nonviolent social changeThe University of Bradford occupies a unique place in the development of nonviolent conflict resolution. It was the first university to have a Chair in Peace Studies and hosts the independent library founded to support Gandhian nonviolent ideas, Commonweal Library. The city itself has been at the forefront of radical politics and activism for social change since its rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution and is the home of the Peace Museum.

As a result, the University and the City are internationally identified with peace and nonviolence. Thanks to the important networks of contacts of University staff and Commonweal trustees, Special Collections has extensive collections of papers of campaigning individuals and organisations, plus ephemera and publications, including archives originally gathered by Commonweal but now donated to the University.

Collecting priorities Archives of campaigning individuals or organisations with links to the

University or Commonweal or who used Gandhian techniques of nonviolence (unless another organisation has stronger claim). We wish to build on our current strengths: 1950s/1960s nuclear disarmament, 1980s peace camps, academic and professional protest groups, protest in Bradford. We are also open to new areas of collecting within this overall framework.

Published books and issues of journals which illuminate the archives for the benefit of users e.g. publications by the creators of these archives.

Books from Commonweal Library in core Commonweal subjects which meet the transfer criteria (below) and which should therefore not be kept on open shelves.

Ephemera and pamphlets on these subjects.

We do not collect Archives of pressure groups not campaigning on peace/nuclear/arms themes. Artworks, objects and other realia better housed in a museum/gallery context

(see Formats for more detail). Reference books or textbooks on these topics unless essential to

understanding these particular archives. Both the University Library and Commonweal have strong collections which support our archives. We therefore do not seek to keep in Special Collections material which is sustainably collected elsewhere in our building.

Runs of journals, as these are available elsewhere in our building (note for instance that Commonweal has run of Peace News).

Press cuttings from mainstream newspapers and publications unless curated as part of archive and inseparable from rarer titles.

Future directions Curating modern equivalents/digital archives. The campaigners of today

are active online and their records are created in digital and social media form. If we wish to continue to collect in this area, we will need to work actively with these creators now.

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Oral history. Along with the Peace Museum and other organisations, we realise that the campaigners of the 1950s and 1960s are ageing and their memories being lost. We are exploring ways to capture memories, in particular of the history of Peace Studies, of Commonweal, and of the campaigns whose archives we hold. The 40th anniversary of Peace Studies offers a valuable opportunity to reach out to likely audiences.

StakeholdersCommonweal Trustees are consulted about collecting decisions relating to the Commonweal Archives.

Other organisationsMany organisations have interlinking collections. We have found the following to be the most significant.

1 in 12 Club. Bishopsgate Institute Collections on women’s history, especially re early 1980s activism e.g.

Women’s Library, Feminist Archive North, Huddersfield University. Commonweal Library. Hoover Institution of War, Revolution and Peace. Hull University (pressure groups). Imperial War Museums. International Institute for Social History, Amsterdam. International organisations, including peace museums and archives and

universities with collecting interests. LSE Archives. NORLA libraries. Other record offices (for campaigns in their areas) Peace Museum, Bradford. Peace Palace Library. Peace Pledge Union (early C20, esp. conscientious objectors). Swarthmore College Peace Collection “material that documents non-

governmental efforts for nonviolent social change, disarmament and conflict resolution between peoples and nations”.

UK collections on Quakers e.g. Friends House, Leeds University Special Collections.

Voluntary History Society. Warwick Modern Records Centre. West Yorkshire Archives Service (for local activities, local government)

Note on New Atlantis and Mitrinović Library and ArchiveSpecial Collections includes the large library and archive gathered by Dmitrije Mitrinović and his circle, plus related material such as the Peart-Binns Christian Socialist Archive. It came to us via our interest in Peace Studies and is of considerable significance for research into mid-20th century politics, literature etc. However, it is not yet clear where this material sits in our schema i.e. what the scope is for developing as Heritage rather than Legacy. We should know more as the forthcoming archive cataloguing project reveals the potential of this material and will define our collecting more precisely in the next edition of this Policy.

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Stakeholders Mitrinović Foundation.

Other organisations Belgrade University. University of Sussex.

Bradford, the West Riding, and the Yorkshire DalesIt is not our role to duplicate the collecting of Local Studies at Bradford Central Library or the West Yorkshire Archives Service, or of other public libraries and record offices in our region. However, local material is a significant and well-used element of Special Collections.

The development of the University cannot be seen in isolation from the region in which it is based, its historic industry and radical traditions. The University grew out of the need for technical education in Bradford and much of its teaching and research has a local focus (e.g. archaeological research in the Yorkshire Dales, conflict resolution with local communities).

Bradford’s history and that of the University is intertwined with the experience of the other West Riding cities and of our hinterland and backyard The Yorkshire Dales, hence our local collecting goes beyond the city itself. Dales authors (W.R. Mitchell for example) have often taken an interest in the Lake District so we also collect selectively in that area.

Our local collections include:

Local Collection of published books, mostly transfers from main library stock and other libraries

Dyeing and Textile History Collection of published books includes material on Bradford industry (other material in this collection is Legacy/Finite).

Holden Papers: letters of local wool family. Archives of and books by local authors including W. “Windyridge” Riley and

his father Joseph, the Swaledale naturalists the Keartons, and poet and academic Ken Smith, poet and novelist John Waddington-Feather.

Archive, maps and books owned by/written by industrial archaeologist Arthur Raistrick.

Archive and Book Collection of journalist and naturalist W.R. Mitchell, who chronicles the changing landscapes of lives of the Yorkshire Dales.

Many other important archival collections concerning Bradford, including Barbara Castle’s diaries, Salt’s daybook, Popplewell Inquiry Papers, Anthrax Papers.

Collecting priorities Standard published works on the history of Bradford. Historic works published in Bradford (we aspire to hold a copy of all works in

Dickons 18956). Especially if connections to Priestley, wool manufacture, and our other strengths.

Selectively, works concerning the West Riding which are relevant to Bradford.

6 Dickons, J. Norton. Catalogue of books, pamphlets, etc., published at Bradford, in the County of York. Bradford: Henry Gaskarth, printer, 1895.

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Selectively, works concerning the Yorkshire Dales which are pertinent to our interests in the region (archaeology, landscape, industry).

Archives of local people and organisations if relevant to teaching and research and which are not more appropriately collected by other bodies. We are particularly interested in archives which connect to existing strengths, in local authors and literary groups, in archives which link to key subject areas like archaeology and peace, and in visual collections with acceptable rights arrangements.

Selectively, ephemera on Bradford and the Yorkshire Dales.

We do not collect Published works on areas of Yorkshire other than the West Riding and the

Dales (and to some extent the Lakes) or other regions of the UK unless relevant to other Heritage clusters.

Archival records of local government (collected by West Yorkshire Archive Service).

Public records under the terms of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967. Archival records of religious institutions and bodies including Anglican

Christian records as defined by the provisions of the Parochial Registers & Records Measure 1978 (as amended 1993), and similar official records and registers of other religious bodies.

Future directionsOur priority for the next couple of years will be working with Settle Stories and other partners on the Mitchell Archive7 digitisation project, subject to funding.

There are many other possibilities, which will be explored in discussion with local partners.

Other organisations Bradford Industrial Museum and other local museums and galleries. Local Studies, Central Library Bradford. North Yorkshire County Record Office. Other local studies services in West and North Yorkshire, notably Keighley,

Leeds. Settle Stories (W.R. Mitchell Project). The Folly, Settle. West Yorkshire Archive Service. Yorkshire Archaeological Trust.

ArchaeologyAlongside the archaeological collections covered in other Heritage areas (Jacquetta Hawkes, Yorkshire material), we would like to build on existing strengths in archaeology. This is an area of excellence at the University and we experience demand for archives to assist in teaching and research. Our archives already cover the many types of archaeology: Hawkes, Raistrick, the Prehistoric Society, Calvin Wells. As far as possible, we manage archaeological collections

7 http://www.wrmitchellarchive.org.uk/

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http://www.wrmitchellarchive.org.uk/


in accordance with the principles and practices outlined by the Archaeological Archives Forum8.

Collecting prioritiesOur priorities lie in areas which are most useful to our departmental colleagues and most distinctive to the University, and where we are the most appropriate collecting body.

We would be interested in acquiring further small high quality archives relevant to our existing collections or with a connection to the University. Angles might include a focus on women’s archaeology, archaeology of protest, or work in Yorkshire. We anticipate collecting archives which are more personal and traditional in format e.g. letters, manuscripts of books about archaeology, rather than records of excavation.

We do not collect Material archives i.e. archaeological finds (bones, flints, geological samples,

coins etc. etc. though occasional objects are acceptable to add context to archives).

Large scale data sets.

Other organisations Archaeological Archives Forum. Archaeology Data Service. Archives of individual archaeologists in institutions where they worked or

studied. English Heritage. Most of the local organisations listed above. Prehistoric Society Society of Antiquaries.

Other subjectsThe above Heritage clusters have been the focus of most attention and our greatest strengths during the 13 years since the founding of Special Collections. This suggests that continuing to enhance these areas where we can make a strong contribution to the work of our University and our sector may be a better use of resources than trying to collect in new areas. However, we do not rule out developing collections in other subjects in future. We would do so only after thought and consultation and if this did not impinge on the collecting policies of others.

UNDERSTANDING THE LEGACY COLLECTIONSMost of the Legacy collections were acquired before the founding of the Special Collections service. Like most archive services, we have since tightened up our collecting policies to focus on our strengths, and no longer collect one-off archives which, while interesting in themselves, are out of context at Bradford.

We value the Legacy collections: they are well used in ways relevant to our mission. However, either they are complete in themselves with little prospect of further collecting, or comprehensive collecting in their subject areas is the 8 http://www.archaeologyuk.org/archives/aaf_archaeological_archives_2011.pdf

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http://www.archaeologyuk.org/archives/aaf_archaeological_archives_2011.pdf


business of other organisations. Thus we add to them very selectively, only collecting material that is directly relevant to the collections in hand and that facilitates the use made of them. We add only by donation, not by purchase or pro-active methods which require more resources.

The main Legacy collections:

Artificial printed book collections which do not accompany an archive. Most of these books are transfers from main stock.

Reynolds News. Almost Unique (only other known run is at the British Library), significant, and well used, but in a format which is very difficult to store, on paper with inherent vice, and with serious issues around access. We would not now accept such a collection and we would not accept further runs of historic newspapers (individual items relevant to Heritage are accepted).

Most archives not discussed under Heritage. Typical examples are Rawnsley BUF and Kennally Northern Ireland, small collections of research data which are heavily used but are in subjects where we have little strength or scope to collect. None of these archives occupy much space or require much input to continue to be useful.

Notes on key Legacy clustersQuaker books

Special Collections has a good collection of Quaker publications from various sources including Leeds University Library, local meeting houses and Dr Raistrick. We have most of the standard works and have little scope for further collecting in this area. In addition, there are more significant collections easily accessed by researchers e.g. at Friends House or Leeds University. We therefore do not intend to develop this collection further. However, books which relate to the Quaker peace testimony, to Quakers in Bradford and Yorkshire, or to key individuals such as Professor Curle or Dr Raistrick are Heritage, and would be collected, subject to the claims of other organisations.

Yugoslav materialThe University has a long history of Yugoslav connections and studies which can be seen throughout Special Collections. These continue to be valued as part of the University Heritage cluster. Other Yugoslav material is relevant to our peace-making collecting interests. We do not now believe that it is appropriate for us to develop Yugoslav material outside our Heritage clusters. The University no longer has a research unit in this area, and because of the specialist language skills required, it is not possible for a small service like ours to offer the level of support such collections require.

OTHER FACTORS IN COLLECTING DECISIONSIn all collecting decisions, we carry out formally or informally a cost-benefit analysis: will the cost of managing this material be justified in its value to our mission and its likely usefulness, bearing in mind our limited resources? Here are the most important factors we consider.

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ArrangementThe level or kind of organisation of a collection of archives or ephemera will be taken into consideration. Unsorted documents (not filed or otherwise organised) require significantly more staff time to process them for use.

Audiences and useTo justify our long-term investment in these materials, we seek to acquire collections which are relevant to multiple audiences now and into the future. Material which is of use only to one staff member or student and otherwise irrelevant to our collecting policy will not be acquired. All Heritage collections appeal to internal and external groups and offer scope for teaching, academic and personal research, marketing, fundraising, partnerships, and many other activities and audiences now and into the future.

ConditionSpecial Collections will not accept material which

poses a hazard to staff and users.

might damage existing collections.

Hence we will not take unstable formats (nitrate film, certain plastics) or materials affected by active mould or infested by insects.

We will also not accept large volumes of material which is in very poor condition even if it does not threaten health or collections (e.g. brittle newsprint) unless the extra costs in making it usable can be covered or justified.

All new acquisitions are quarantined.

Better copies of published works may be accepted to replace existing copies in poorer condition e.g. with dustjacket.

DateWe do not set limits on the dates of material to be acquired. However, we anticipate that future collecting will follow the existing pattern: overwhelmingly mid 19th century to the present day. This is because of the chronology of our Heritage collecting clusters, which reflect in turn the age and history of the University, its subject specialisms, and the history of Bradford itself.

FormatSpecial Collections will accept material in any format usual in libraries and archives, providing this format can be safely stored and readily made available to users given our staff and space constraints.

We welcome these formats.

Archival documents, including photographic media. Ephemera such as flyers and postcards. Printed books, pamphlets and journals. Standard digital formats (e.g. Word, PDF, Excel, jpg) – though our collecting

in these areas is in its infancy.

We accept these formats with certain caveats:

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Press cuttings, where these have UD qualities e.g. curated in a Heritage collection setting or from rare titles. Press cuttings from mainstream press and/or titles freely available online are not accepted.

Maps. Size, fragility and access concerns must be considered. Audiovisual formats (standard formats which we can support e.g.

audiocassettes and which we can legally make available). Oversize books. We have very limited non-standard shelving space. Objects/realia, in small quantities and manageable size, which are integral to

an archive, and shed light on its creator or subject (e.g. J.B. Priestley’s pipes, essential to his persona and writings). The formats listed below would not be accepted. Peace-related artworks, banners, badges etc. redirected to Peace Museum.

We are unable to accept:

Film (redirected to Yorkshire Film Archive).

Framed artworks (to University’s Permanent Art Collection or appropriate gallery).

Large scale data sets.

Microforms.

Objects/realia whose size, physical qualities or ethical issues means we cannot properly house or manage them e.g. botanica, artefacts, human remains. We would redirect to University departments or museums etc. elsewhere.

Off-air recordings unless acquired via the University’s recording service.

Photocopies unless we are legally able to make them available.

Runs of bound or unbound newspapers.

We do not generally seek to acquire copies of archive materials which are publicly accessible elsewhere in the UK or online. For Heritage collections, we would selectively consider copying material either in private hands or in collections overseas if the material was considered significant enough to justify the staff time and storage issues.

LanguageMost Special Collections materials are in English though the Mitrinović Library includes many volumes in Serbo-Croat, German, Russian and other European languages. Most European languages and many others are represented in the archives.

Individual published items or materials within an archive may be accepted in any language providing they match the collecting policy.

We would not accept a large collection of material in any language other than English unless,

It fits our Heritage collecting AND

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Funding is available for the much greater cataloguing and other staff input required (and note that the difficulties are considerably multiplied for material in non-European languages or non-Roman alphabets).

Potential use and other value make it worth the input of resources.

Legal issuesSpecial Collections will not accept collections where legislation seriously limits access and use. The two main areas of concern:

CopyrightCollections earn their keep when users can have and use copies (as they increasingly expect) and staff can share images and content to promote them.

We actively seek to make these activities possible by negotiating with collection donors for transfer or licensing of rights. We will not accept collections of artistic or audiovisual material in copyright unless we are able to acquire these rights. We will not accept collections where allowing access to material infringes copyright law (for example, collections of photocopies or downloads).

Data ProtectionSpecial Collections exist for use. Collections which cannot be made available to the public take up space and other resources for no benefit. Entire collections consisting of sensitive personal data will not be accepted and caution will be exercised in accepting any material which will have to be closed under the Act.

PartnersSpecial Collections wishes to play its part in building effective national and international networks of material held in the most suitable organisations. Inevitably our collecting efforts overlap with those of others (as outlined above for each Heritage cluster). We wish to avoid competition, conflict and duplication of effort and to ensure collections are placed in the most appropriate organisation for the benefit of users.

Thus,

We collaborate with other organisations collecting in similar areas to ourselves.

We keep in contact with organisations co-ordinating collecting activity, notably the National Archives, and informal groups such as HE Archivists, GLAM and NORLA.

We maintain awareness of the collecting patterns of other institutions via our professional networks.

We ensure potential donors are made aware of other organisations with overlapping remits which might better suit their collections and needs.

Size of collectionThe scale of a potential acquisition is highly significant. We ask many more questions before accepting a large archival collection compared to a single published volume because of the different level of resources committed indefinitely.

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COLLECTING PROCESSESSpecial Collections will accept only material to which the donor or seller has legal title and to which it is able to acquire legal title.

Items may be acquired by gift, bequest, exchange, purchase on the open antiquarian market, or by pro-active collecting methods. Many printed books (notably for University Heritage) are received via internal transfer from main library stock; University records are also received via internal transfer. Otherwise most Special Collections material has been and will continue to be donated or collected pro-actively.

Acquisitions are documented following standard professional practice. All donations and purchases are confirmed in writing and accessioned as part of the audit trail. A signed memorandum of agreement or form is required from all donors of archives, covering issues such as access, freedom of information, and copyright. All donations of printed material are acknowledged in writing.

PurchasingThe Library is currently unable to fund Special Collections to buy through the antiquarian trade, though occasional purchases of new publications or low-cost second-hand materials are funded by subject librarians where these support teaching and research.

Thus we rely on external funding to support purchasing to enhance collections. It is a strategic priority for Special Collections to build links with individuals and organisations so that we are able to respond quickly when significant items come onto the market. We only purchase to support Heritage collections.

Priestley and Hawkes are the collections where key items are most likely to appear in the antiquarian trade. We would consider purchasing publications by these authors which fill gaps in collections and archival items which add significantly to knowledge of the writers or which might help with marketing or income generation (manuscripts, significant letters e.g. to someone important or discussing writing rather than appointments, notebooks covering writing, photographs). Certain Local items are also priorities, notably the notebooks of Dr Raistrick which may shed light on our important but under-documented map collection.

Special Collections follows established professional practice when purchasing: where items are purchased on the open market, purchase from booksellers is preferred to purchase at auction. Purchase at auction is via a recognised bidding agent. Purchase from individuals will be subject to valuation by a reputable third party.

Unlike many other archives, we have no deposit collections which are vulnerable to sale and for which emergency fundraising may be required to retain public access.

Donations and depositsIn accordance with modern professional practice, it is the policy of Special Collections to accept material only if ownership is transferred to the University of Bradford (i.e. donation not deposit or loan).

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Material currently on deposit in Special Collections:

A small working collection of Priestley photographs and ephemera (mainly concerning Priestley play productions) belonging to the J.B. Priestley Society (an arrangement reviewed annually by the Special Collections Librarian and the Society Council).

Remaining Commonweal archives historically “deposited” with Commonweal and awaiting update of their legal situation. We are seeking to clarify conditions with depositors where they can be traced.

Books and pamphlets transferred from Commonweal Library to Commonweal Rare Books collection remain on deposit to the University as with Commonweal Library itself.

We occasionally borrow materials from individuals or organisations for exhibitions or copying to add to collections. The legal position, insurance arrangements etc. are discussed as part of the process.

If in exceptional circumstances, the Special Collections Librarian believed it was appropriate to accept a new deposit collection, the arrangement would be reviewed annually or at other appropriate regular intervals: no “permanent loans”.

Unsolicited donationsUnsolicited donations to Special Collections are added to stock only if they meet our collecting policy. Unwanted materials are rehomed following our deaccessioning policy for UD material or following procedures established in the main library for non-UD material.

Pro-active collectingLike other services, Special Collections recognises that the collections of the future (especially those in digital formats) will be created, and hence collected, in very different ways. Rather than waiting for volumes of paper to be donated when they are no longer wanted by their creators, we will actively seek out and work with those creators and generate and enhance new material via innovative technologies.

Our efforts in these areas will concentrate on creating and acquiring material to enhance Heritage collections, in particular curating web presence and capturing memories around collections via oral history and social media. We will also continue to gather and curate physical ephemera.

DuplicatesPrinted books

The question of duplicates among printed books in Special Collections is treated with great caution.

Each Special Collection forms an individual resource; therefore duplication between collections is not necessarily an issue.

Where duplicates exist within a printed book collection, the usual practice will be to retain the best copy in the collection and put the other(s) into main stock or otherwise rehome them. Occasionally an extra copy may be retained for exhibition or loan purposes. Only identical copies would be treated in this way:

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variants in physical state, provenance etc. may be of great interest to researchers and one of the strengths of Special Collections.

We do not keep bulk copies e.g. of University publications.

ArchivesIn accordance with standard archival practice, we weed multiple copies of leaflets, flyers and other materials found in archival or ephemera collections. We may retain extra copies to allow for use in exhibitions.

Transfer from Main stock and Commonweal LibraryItems in main library stock or Commonweal Library will be considered for transfer to Special Collections if they are unique or distinctive, based on the following criteria:

Archival/manuscript materials. Hand-press era book (pre-1850). Late 19th century works are increasingly rare and fragile - consider unless

common and mainstream. Significant provenance e.g. people relevant to University or Commonweal

history or other well-known/traceable individuals. Significant extra-published material. Unusual formats which cannot be safely stored on standard shelves e.g.

artists’ books, miniature books. Rarity e.g. no or only one other copy on COPAC. Exceptional market value. Relevance to Heritage collecting interests (e.g. Priestley contribution,

University publications, University grey literature, Bradford).

For copyright and access reasons, Special Collections will not accept off-air recordings unless provided by the University’s inhouse service, unusual audio-visual formats or other problematic materials.

For preservation reasons, archives, hand-press books and items with important provenance should be considered for transfer as soon as they are identified. Other materials can usually remain in main stock until they are no longer relevant for current teaching and research: these are flagged so that they will not inadvertently be deaccessioned or repaired inappropriately.

Accessioning and cataloguingWhile not strictly part of our collection development policy, this information is relevant to the lifecycle of collections and it may be helpful to potential donors or other collecting organisations to include it here.

All new acquisitions are entered in our accessions register spreadsheet on receipt. We supply annual returns to The National Archives survey of new accessions of archives. New acquisitions are promoted via our web pages and social media as soon as we are legally and practically able to do so.

Along with others in the archives sector, we are increasingly moving towards a model of cataloguing archives on demand rather than on receipt. Special Collections processes new archives acquisitions for use as quickly as possible through initial surveys, collection descriptions and boxlists, followed by more

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detailed cataloguing when possible and as justified by user demand. Archives are catalogued using ISAD(G)2 on spreadsheets. These are the basis for finding aids in Word and PDF formats which are made freely available online and entered on the Archives Hub.

Printed books are catalogued using accepted standards (currently AACR2 and MARC) on the Library’s management system and contributed to COPAC.

Individual manuscripts are treated as books or archives as seems most appropriate for the material and its potential users.

We are developing a system for quickly cataloguing our huge collections of peace pamphlets and ephemera using spreadsheets.

DeaccessioningSpecial Collections carries out standard archival appraisal on all archive collections when catalogued or retrospectively for historic collections. New donors are informed of this process on donation, as are historic donors where they can reasonably be contacted. We also manage duplicates as laid out above.

Other than these standard professional practices necessary to make the most of any collections, there is a strong assumption that material in Heritage collections will not be sold or otherwise deaccessioned.

Material in Legacy collections would seldom be deaccessioned because it is significant and well-used even if not core, but this option would be considered if a more appropriate and publicly accessible home became available.

The small quantity of Self-renewing material in Special Collections will be deaccessioned when it ceases to be useful.

We aspire to deaccession all material identified as Finite.

Deaccessioning UD materialSpecial Collections follows established professional practice in deaccessioning UD material:

Disposals Policy for Rare Books and Manuscripts, CILIP Rare Books and Special Collections Group (2007)9

Archival practice, as advised by The National Archives10.

Wherever possible we seek to make material most widely available to potential audiences, by rehoming it in a record office, university special collections service or other publicly accessible repository holding relevant collections.

9 http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interest-groups/rare-books/policy/pages/policy_sales.aspx

10 Guidelines under Appraisal and Disposal/disposition http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/guidance/a.htm

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http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/guidance/a.htm

http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interest-groups/rare-books/policy/pages/policy_sales.aspx

http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interest-groups/rare-books/policy/pages/policy_sales.aspx


Deaccessioning non-UD materialNon-UD material (Self-renewing and most Finite) is deaccessioned following professional practice and the policies of the main library and of Commonweal (as appropriate). We will endeavour to balance finding such material a suitable home with the considerable demands that the historic bulk of this material places on our limited staffing and space resources. Most peace-related and other low-value but saleable materials are offered to Commonweal for their regular book sales.

REVIEW OF THIS EDITIONWe aim to review this policy annually and to write a new edition when changing technologies, practices and situations render it outdated.

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